I would never buy a toaster when I could get a toaster oven. They are cheaper than you would think ($70 +/-) and so much more flexible; you will never eat re-heated pizza any other way again.

You want one that will handle 4 pieces of wonder bread (it should say in the product desc).
You want one that will bake, broil, and toast; some have timers, too.
Most are rated at ~1500 watts, but high-end models jump way up in wattage after that.

I bought a used one once that made perfect toast. My husband replaced it with a new Black and Decker that doesn't handle that job so well, though they make a dozen variations on the same model.

Can someone recommend a toaster - one that really works but doesn't break the budget?

How can a toaster not work? OK I've known toasters that used to eject the toast a tad vigorously so that on occasion it fell behind the fridge, and I've a 60's chrome toaster that's melted it's heating element a few times.
I've also seen a toaster fail to turn off until it had melted through it's cable and tripped it's fuse, but if you buy a new toaster (or don't mind rewiring occasionally) I can't see how a toaster can fail to "really work".

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Many that are recommended are $100+ which seems a little large?

Wha??? Where are $100 toasters recomended? Surely you just get one that looks nice, that does the right number of slices, and preferably has quite wide slots incase you don't slice the bread too evenly and end up with odd shaped wedges.